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Bennett, Arnold, 1867-1931

"The Regent"

"
She burst out in a torrent of irrelevant protest:
"The New York police have not treated me right. It would have cost
them nothing to arrest me and let me go. But they wouldn't. Every man
in the force--you hear me, every man--has had strict orders to leave
me unmolested. It seems they resent my dealings with the police in
Chicago, where I brought about the dismissal of four officers, so they
say. And so I'm to be boycotted in this manner! Is that argument, Mr.
Machin? Tell me. You're a man, but honestly, is it argument? Why, it's
just as mean and despicable as brute force."
"I agree with you," said Edward Henry, softly.
"Do they really think it will harm the militant cause? Do they
_really_ think so? No, it will only harm me. I made a mistake in
tactics. I trusted--fool!--to the chivalry of the United States. I
might have been arrested in a dozen cities, but I on purpose reserved
my last two arrests for Chicago and New York, for the sake of the
superior advertisement, you see! I never dreamt--! Now it's too late.
I am defeated! I shall just arrive in London on the hundredth day. I
shall have made speeches at all the meetings. But I shall be short of
one arrest. And the ten thousand pounds will be lost to the cause. The
militants here--such as they are--are as disgusted as I am. But they
scorn me. And are they not right? Are they not right? There should be
no quarter for the vanquished.


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